Blogger vs. Blogger – Juan of Words vs. Latinaish

All siblings end up fighting eventually – even hermanos del alma. Today mi hermano Juan and I come to blows in the first Blogger vs. Blogger challenge.

Okay, there’s no real fight, but here’s the deal. Juan challenged me to take photos in different categories he chose. Today we’re both posting those photos and you, mi gente, will choose the winner in this friendly game. Check out my photos, leave a comment, and be sure to go check out and comment on Juan’s post, too.

Vamanos!

Silly Photo With Your Family

Honestly, we took sillier ones, but I like this one best. I set the timer on my camera and took this at the National Gallery of Art in D.C. in the modern art wing.

Favorite Local Dish in your Area

This was difficult. I didn’t get around to visiting my favorite pupusa place, La Frontera in Gaithersburg, Maryland but here is a different favorite dish at a local place that I would rank in my top 10.

This is “Casuela Mexicana” – Enough shrimp, steak, chicken and chorizo for four people, served with rice, beans, bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, lettuce, guacamole, sour cream and tortillas. Cost is $31.00 at Viva Mexico in Inwood, W.Virginia – 10 minutes from the Virginia border and 30 minutes from the Maryland border.

Favorite Outdoor spot for Brainstorming

The hammock in the backyard, (or “gringo tipper” as my parents call it since they fell out of it a few times.) We’ve gone through a few. One disintegrated, the other broke when the whole family piled into it. We’ll have to buy another one when we go to El Salvador later this month because I love going there to think, relax, nap, or get away from the yelling when Carlos and Suegra are arguing.

Favorite Nook of your House

This category was also difficult because my house is smaller than some apartments. It’s all one floor, no basement, no upstairs, not even an attic or garage. The house itself qualifies as a “nook”! The one spot I have is my “office” which is a corner of our bedroom I carved out for myself. Everyone respects this spot – no one touches it and even neat-freak Carlos doesn’t complain about the creative messes on my desk. It’s the only place that is totally mine.

Favorite Family Spot

We have a few places we like to go, but I think everyone’s favorite is the National Mall. We go to the museums a lot, even though we’ve seen them a million times, and sometimes we just walk around.

Best Kept Secret in your Area

Can you even tell what this is? It’s a pedestrian tunnel connecting the East and West wings of the National Gallery of Art museums. There’s a 200 foot long moving walkway and 41,000 LEDs. The tunnel is actually an art installation by Leo Villareal called “Multiverse.” I suspect that many people who have been to the museums “a million times” like we have don’t even know it’s down there, because I only recently discovered it myself. (You can see video of it in motion HERE.)

Most Random Item in your House

Okay, fair warning, this is kind of offensive… but then again, there are plenty of statues, both modern and ancient that are naked, so let’s pretend to be mature and intellectual for a moment…

Okay, not exactly Michelangelo’s David. Why do we even own this ugly ass keychain? … It belonged to Carlos’s father, so it’s kind of special to him. Thankfully Carlos keeps it in a drawer and doesn’t carry it around.

If the sky were falling, first thing you would grab after people

I don’t know about the sky falling, but if there was some reason we needed to evacuate, I’ve always said I would grab our photo albums.

Favorite Piece of Art in the House

This is from a children’s book called “El Canto de las Palomas” by Juan Felipe Herrera. The book was damaged so I recycled some of the beautiful illustrations by Elly Simmons into framed art.

Favorite Pair of Shoes

Carlos should count his lucky stars he married a girl like me. Not only do I put up with his mother, but I don’t like fancy jewelery or expensive shoes. My favorite pair of shoes?

A cheap pair of black chanclas. I have several similar pairs but these are my new ones to wear to El Salvador so they’re my favorites right now.

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38 thoughts on “Blogger vs. Blogger – Juan of Words vs. Latinaish”

Tracy,
You’re awesome, jajaja! Our favorite pairs of shoes are both chanclas… too hilarious :-) Maybe we are related somehow??? I loved all the pictures, especially the food (it looked so good), your family pic (y’all look so nice), the hammock (your son looks so relaxed out there), the art and the chanclas, and of course, the random item (literally LMAO!!) – you definitely beat me in that category :-) And the office space, I can totally relate… my office space is just as small and even more cluttered, por eso siempre ando metiendo donde sea to do my brainstorming and writing!

You are quite the contender y me encanta todo lo que has hecho con este proyecto! I’m voting for you just for that, jaja! Thanks again hermana :-)

LOVED the key chain!!! Well, not really but I think is a super winner for that category!
I would also grab my photos if the Aliens were to abduct me or I am sent to Alcatraz for some weird reason!
This was a GREAT idea: Fun, funny and another way to get to know you guys a little more.
Gracias, Gracias, Gracias.
Ya me voy pa’ donde Juan!

Here are my votes for Round:
1-Juan – Cool beat out sweet here :)
2-Tracy- Juan almost got me with my weakness (chips/salsa) but then I read “chorizo”
3-Tracy- It’s hard to find a good hammock
4-Ugh, SO hard…tie? But if I HAD to choose, Juan, I like the pic.
5-Juan-TEXAS baby
6-tough one but Tracy’s is snazzier
7-So hard (no pun intended)! But, cute wins here…kitty, Juan
8-Tracy- It’s my choice too
9-Juan- great pic with a fun story
10- Really? Chanclas? Both of you…Tie…

No cheating hermana, jajaja! My sister came on her own free will :-) Ahora falta invitar las hormigas de Claudia… pa que nos ayuden a decidir! I think the clear winner is your Random Item… that image will be engraved in my memory forever now. Thanks for that! LOL!! And thank you hermana for this very fun partnership!!

I loved both of your photo selections! It’s hilarious you both chose chanclas and a ‘tunnel’ for best kept secret. Juan’s family pic was awesome! It’s hard to choose, but if I have to, I’m going to have to go with Señora López on this one. As a former DC resident (making me totally biased), some of those photos gave me some real nostalgia! The Nat’l Mall is also one of my favorite places. Plus, I’m a sentimental chica and photo albums are the first things i’d be throwing out the window in case of a fire. :-) Finally, on a day like today, i’d like nothing better than to cozy up with a good book on that gringo tipper!
I really enjoyed the ‘fight!’ You’re both awesome contenders! This was fun!

Hola :) I love this mano a mano. Esta buenisimo! I love the pictures of the picture of the tunnel, la hamaca, the key chain (in Chile there was something similar called Indio Picaro) and the chancletas.
I really liked some of Juan’s photos too so I think you are both tied :)

Great posts! I not only like the photos but I think the captions are hysterical and insightful. Carlos’ keychain is a crack up as is the gringo tripping hammock. Funny, because to the right of that picture was a photo and link to Botas Picudas. Big smile there!

And of course I love the fact that you have chanclas as your favorite shoes! The caption again was terrific.

I enjoyed this so much! What a great idea! I loved your pics too! You guys picked a lot of similar stuff! The key chain almost made me fall on the floor….LOL wasn’t expecting that. Beautiful family! The hammock looks soooo relaxing! Great pics! There is no way I could pick a winner though! You and Juan are both awesome!!!!

I know – I have scanned a lot of our old photos but it takes forever and we have so many. I will hopefully get on it one of these days. Thanks for the reminder. You’re right – they’re so precious, I should protect them better.

Love this idea…you really do have great blogging friends! My favorite pic was your son in the hammock with that cute expression on his face. That’s definitely one to blow up and hang on a wall. How did you get your hammock up…is it around a tree or on a stand? We have one, but have never put it up because there are no trees close enough and the stands are so expensive. If it ever gets pulled out of the closet, we usually just swing each other around the living room until our arms are tired.
And I have to visit that tunnel! Very cool. I pass on the key chain…glad it’s kept in a drawer. :)
Please do this challenge again sometime!

Hey Susan! I wish we had 2 trees to hang our hammock on but no such luck. We bought a metal frame – you can find them at Wally World, K-Mart, Target, Lowe’s (maybe) – places like that, especially in this season. They are expensive but they last, and it’s worth it to enjoy the hammock…. I originally wanted to hang it inside the house like everyone does in El Salvador, but I don’t think our American drywall can handle it. The whole house would probably collapse.

As for doing the challenge again – keep an eye on Juan’s blog. I think he’s got something up his sleeve which he’ll be revealing soon :)

Alright…I tried to be unbiased and it is too hard!
1. Tracy…Love this pic of you guys!
2.Tracy…How can you beat that much food for the price?
3.Tracy…Gotta go with my adorable nephew in the hammock!
4.Juan…Looks like a cool nook!
5. Tracy…Not a fan of downtown Houston…
6. Tracy…That is an awesome secret…can’t wait to see it! Weird that you both chose tunnels
7. Tie…LOL! Frightening!
8. Tracy…Photos are priceless.
9. Juan…Love the story behind his photo. (Tracy, I love that author and I have read The Upside Down Boy and Super CIlantro Girl to my students)
10. Tie…

No puedo escoger. Me gustaron las fotos de los dos. You two are like family. It comes out in the spirit of this match. Tracy, that key-chain is like a fertility god, if I were you I’d wrap it in cloth, place it in a nice wooden box and bury it in the backyard where you know you can always find it. It could be dangerous, spreading its fertility business all around. *LMAO* Awesome competition. I hope we get to see more!

jajaja hijoleeee…obvio de pervertida…im still laughing at the keychain…but if its a fertility god… me lo mandas… i am trying for numero dos!! lol… but I love your family pics… your family just meshes together… todos bien guapos! Its almost as if you could have a reality show… Oh and the post above… we actually in our resturant , we had those bags of water and they worked pretty good actually, before that we had the tape in it was disgusting… i got my hair stuck to it once lol